Iron & Altar

"Do not worry about how or what your defense will be." - Luke 12:11

Most of us rehearse. We rehearse in the car and in the shower. Someone might ask how our prayer life is going, and we prepare an answer that is true enough and leaves us looking reasonable. Jesus says the opposite. When they bring you before the authorities, do not worry about how or what your defense will be. The Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.

He also says whoever acknowledges him before others, the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God. The word is acknowledge. It means saying the true thing out loud in front of someone else. That mostly happens at lunch, when a coworker asks what you did over the weekend, and less often in front of authorities.

A steward gives an honest account without rehearsing a defense.

Your card is finished. It has four works with one word beside each, nine fruits, and one person's answer on the back. Read it once more without fixing it. Nothing is dressed up, and the fruit is what it is.

The men at the table will have their own cards, and nobody is grading. Tomorrow the group will ask. You can arrive with a speech, or you can arrive with the card. The Spirit teaches a man in the moment what to say. It only works if he doesn't come in armed.

Next week is pruning, brother. First you have to be willing to say what's there.

Read the whole card once. Then write one sentence on the back: "The fruit I can point to is . The work that is thinnest is ." Say it aloud without softening it. Bring the card to the group, and tell them what it says without rehearsing.

Holy Spirit, teach me what to say when I'm asked, and keep me from rehearsing. Let the card say what's true. Amen.